


Hidden Harmonies

by StripedSunhat



Series: Waking Words [2]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Crack and Angst, Damian Wayne is a Little Shit, Evil Twins, F/M, Gen, Oblivious Marinette Dupain-Cheng, POV Alternating, Unrequited Love, letting go
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:28:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26736616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StripedSunhat/pseuds/StripedSunhat
Summary: It’s an ordinary Saturday afternoon.Which in Paris of course means an akuma attack.In which Ladybug contributes to the ‘who would win in a fight between Ladybug and Ladybug’ discourse.In which Chat Noir’s finely honed denial reaches its indisputable breaking point.In which Luka finds out Marinette has a soulmate, gets to spend some quality time with the man of the hour himself, gains a second sister and lets go.What is a duet you’re not a part of but someone else’s love song?Midquel toEvery Morning As I Wakebut can be read independently.
Relationships: Juleka Couffaine & Luka Couffaine, Luka Couffaine & Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Marinette Dupain-Cheng & Adrien Agreste, Marinette Dupain-Cheng/Damian Wayne
Series: Waking Words [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1946038
Comments: 33
Kudos: 209





	Hidden Harmonies

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Welcome back to the madness!!  
> If you've read _Every Morning_ then this takes place right in the middle of chapter seven: ‘Meanwhile’  
> If you haven't read _Every Morning_ then the basics you need to know are as thus:  
> -Soulmates are rare but not uncommon.  
> -If you have a soulmate then the first thing they say when they wake up each day you hear in your head.  
> -Marinette has only recently started telling people about her soulmate, because secrets  
> -Ladybug and Chat Noir know who Hawkmoth is but are still working on getting validation to back it  
> -Marinette knows Chat Noir is Adrien  
> -Adrien is trying desperately to pretend he doesn't know Ladybug is Marinette.  
> -Marinette knows Damian is Robin but Damian doesn't know she knows  
> -none of the batfam know any of the Parisian heroes/villains' identities.  
> And there you go, equal footing. 25,000 words skipped in seven bullet points!
> 
> Welcome to the ‘let’s hurt Luka’ train!  
> I’m sorry.  
> Think about it this way if character development comes through suffering then boy is our baby about to get some character development.  
> And if suffering doesn’t create character development, then…  
> um…  
> At least Adrien’s mostly having a good time?

It was a beautiful day. It was Saturday, she’d helped her parents in the bakery this morning, she was actually ahead with her schoolwork for once, and she was hanging out with Adrien tomorrow but for the rest of today she didn’t have any plans. Which meant she was free to sit in the sunlight sketching out new designs and enjoying the day.

Marinette plopped herself down on the plaza steps, pulling out her sketchbook and a box of macarons. Her fingers flew across the page, struck by inspiration.

“What do you think if I showed up to class wearing a Ladybug spotted skirt?” she asked, tilting the sketchbook toward her bag for Tikki to see.

“I think it might be a bit much for Adrien. He’s still processing you being Ladybug. And anyway are you sure it’s a good idea to wear something so connected to your other identity?”

“Hnm. Maybe you’re right.” Lots of other girls wore Ladybug themed stuff but those girls weren’t actually Ladybug. It was a silly risk to take. And Tikki was still on edge about her decision to reveal her identity to Adrien. She flipped to a new page and started sketching a similar skirt patterned with leaves and birds. Down in the courtyard a group of children laughed. Marinette tipped her head back, basking in in the early afternoon sunlight. It was a perfect day.

_“It should be illegal for a teacher to dump a group project on you in the last five minutes before class ends. Now I’m stuck working with three idiots. I’m going to end up doing the entire thing myself if I want it anywhere even close to acceptable standards.”_

Marinette giggled to herself even as she pulled out her phone. It sounded like Damian wasn’t having quite as good a day.

`You’re not even going to try to include them in your plans, are you?`

Her phone almost immediately buzzed with a video call. “Of course I am,” Damian said as soon as the call connected. “I want this project done correctly.”

_“Damian,”_ she teased. “You should at least give your classmates a chance. They might surprise you.”

“I’m afraid I don’t have the same faith in people as you do.”

“I’ll tell you what, you text your group to talk about the project, I’ll tell you all my best group project stories.”

Damian leaned forward in his seat, eyes bright. “You know I always want to hear your stories. I want to hear anything and everything you ever want to tell me.” Marinette blinked. She ducked her head, fighting back a blush. Damian did that sometimes. Talked about her like she was the most important thing in his world. He didn’t even do it to be flirty or teasing like Chat Noir would. He always said very straight-forward, like it was just a fact of life. Marinette still wasn’t sure what to do with it.

“Uh-uh-uh. You have to text them first.”

Damian lowered his eyes to his phone screen, clearly typing something. “There,” he said after a minute. “Done. Although I highly doubt any of them will respond. Most of them are scared of me.”

“Gee. I wonder why that is,” Marinette deadpanned. “But in all seriousness it probably will be a few hours before any of them text you back since it’s not even 7:30 in Gotham and it’s Saturday.”

“Not having school is no excuse to sleep half the day away.”

“Umm…” Marinette thought back to her own late morning, only interrupted thanks to her earlier promise to help her parents.

“My brothers disagree with my sentiment as well. I’m well aware my views are in the minority.”

“Good. I wouldn’t want you to think I was lazy or anything.”

Damian smiled at her. It softened his entire face. Marinette could stare at him for hours when he smiled like that. “I could never think that of you.”

And there he went doing it again. She’d only just gotten her blush under control.

“So! In the meantime I can tell you my group project stories! Which do you want to hear first, the time Chloé tried to get me to do all the work and ended up with paint in her hair, the time Alix dared Kim to eat part of our lab project and he did, or the time Mylené and I both did the same half of the report and only realized it the day of?”

“Whichever one you wish to tell first.”

“In that case I’m starting w–” The laughter down below turned to screams.

Marinette’s head snapped up. A pair of brightly colored akumas, identical save for their coloring, were running through the streets. In their hands were two identical wands. When they joined hands the wands let out a stream of red and green light, enveloping people. Marinette bolted to her feet.

“Marinette? Marinette what is it?”

The akumas turned, staring straight at her.

“Aku–” A beam of red and green light hit her straight in the chest, blasting her back.

~

“unrgh…” Marinette sat up, rubbing her head. That was not fun. She blinked open her eyes, staring straight at… Herself? Other Marinette blinked back at her, holding her own head. Suddenly other her’s face split into a large, evil smile. She let out a wild cackle and scrambled to her feet, running off.

“What the–” Marinette shook her head. She could deal with it later. Right now she had to stop that akuma! “Tikki! Sp–” She gasped as she reached up and realized she only had one earring. “The other me has the other earring! I have to get it back!” She scrambled to her feet, chasing after where the other her had gone. “Wait! Get back here!!”

* * *

Luka strolled through the plaza, guitar in hand. Today was a day for music.

He rounded the corner and spotted Marinette sitting on the steps, smiling down at her phone. It wasn’t a smile he’d ever seen her wear before. Even from this far away looking at it was like hearing music. An ascending chord progression of perfect fourths.

A perfect day for music.

He changed course to her direction. While she’d started coming around again there’d been a few weeks where she’d disappeared almost completely. He’d been meaning to make sure she was alright. And he’d missed her. And… and Juleka had said that her romantic feelings for Adrien had almost completely cooled, until they practically called themselves brother and sister. Maybe now was his chance to see if she might one day feel the same way about him that he did for her.

Maybe today wasn’t just a day for music. Maybe today was a day to start on a duet.

Then screaming started.

Luka whipped around seeing two identical akumas standing in the middle of the plaza, firing on the panicked crowd. He grabbed the people closest to him pulling them to relative safety behind a nearby pillar.

He poked his head out, scanning the area. He needed to get these people to safety. There had to be something he could do– Then looked over at the steps and he froze. Marinette was still there. Marinette was out in the open completely exposed. The akuma’s gaze caught on Marinette. Luka broke free from the pillar and took off running towards Marinette. He wasn’t going to make it–

The akuma fired, hitting Marinette full on. Marinette’s body glowed with blinding red and green light, forcing Luka to have to shield his eyes. When the light faded there were two Marinettes blinking at each other. Then one of them laughed and ran away the other one following after her only a few seconds later.

Luka stopped, staring at where the two Marinettes had been. The akuma had left, which was probably a good thing or he definitely would have been hit, standing out the open like an idiot like he was.

_“–ette! Marinette! Marinette what’s going on! Answer me! Marinette!!”_ Luka blinked, coming back to himself. Marinette’s phone was lying face up on the steps. That’s right, Marinette was on the phone before she was hit. Whomever was on the other end had to be so worried right now.

“Hello?” he said, picking up the phone. On the screen was a black-haired boy their age. He looked as panicked as he sounded but he hid it as soon as he noticed Luka. Dark green eyes fixed on him, boring into him.

“Luka Couffaine.” Well that wasn’t creepy at all. Maybe Marinette had talked about him? Except then why would he know Luka’s full name? “Where is Marinette.”

“There was an akuma,” Luka said in answer to the other boy’s demand – because that was the only word for it. “Marinette got hit.” The other boy immediately tensed. He’d been in motion the entire time and now he sped up.

**_“What happened.”_ **

“She’s okay! I think. Whatever the akuma did it caused there to be two Marinettes. They both ran off.”

“I need to make sure she’s alright. I can’t–” The guy’s iron clad control slipped and Luka could see that under it was thinly leashed absolute terror.

“Did Marinette– er, either Marinette, say anything before she– they– left?”

“I don’t know,” he growled looking both angry and miserable. “The audio cut out for a few seconds.”

“We’ll find her,” Luka said. He reached down and grabbed Marinette’s sketchbook too, knowing the girl wouldn’t want it lost.

“I can track the akuma down digitally for you.”

“You’re not going to go out looking yourself?” Now that surprised him. Luka had honestly expected the guy to storm the street with how panicked he was. It was safer if he didn’t; Luka should be glad he wasn’t. But still he couldn’t help the twinge of resentment that the guy would claim to be so worried but leave Marinette out here on her own.

“I’m in America.” came the coldly furious reply.

Oh.

Well that explained the accent. Although American is not where Luka would have pegged it as.

At some point the guy had moved to a dark room lit up by the glow of what had to be multiple computer screens. He propped the phone up and turned away, typing at one of the monitors. “The akuma is on the Avenue du Président Wilson, within sight of the Palais de Tokyo. There’s no sign of Marinette on any feeds I can find.”

“That’s the same direction Marinette went in. I guess I’m going to the Palais de Tokyo.” slipping his guitar over his shoulder, Luka set off.

* * *

Marinette chased after her other self, skidding to a stop when she lost sight of her. “Come on me! You know we need both earrings to transform!” Why did the other her keep running away!

“Marinette!” Tikki cried, pulling on the girl’s jacket, “Look!” The little kwami pointed across the way where the akuma was firing on people. Anyone who got hit split into two and one of them immediately either ran off cackling or started wrecking things. As she watched Officer Roger got hit. As soon as the light faded one of the Rogers ran into a jewelry shop and started robbing it while the other followed trying to arrest him. “Everyone who’s split, one of the two is evil!”

“It really took you that long to figure out?” Marinette whipped around. The other her was leaning against a nearby wall, studying her fingernails. “I expected better from you Tikki. I guess you’re just not that smart.” She smirked up at Marinette. “And neither are you. Clearly _I’m_ where the brains ended up.”

Marinette dropped into a fighting position. “I’m not going to let you give your half of the miraculous to Hawkmoth!”

“Oh I don’t intend to.”

Marinette stopped. “You… don’t?”

“Of course not,” the other her said, pushing off the wall and sauntering closer. “Why should I give Hawkmoth all the power when I can keep it for myself?” All at once she dove at Marinette, hand clawing at Marinette’s face. Marinette leapt back with a squeak. Her double followed her, reaching for her earring. Marinette shoved her down, jumping up onto a nearby wall to hide.

The other her turned in a slow circle, fortunately not looking up yet. Marinette pressed herself into the shadows. “I’m going to take your half of our miraculous and then I’m going to go find Adrien! We told pretty kitty who we are. How easy do you think it’ll be to get him to give me his ring?”

“Oh no you don’t!” Marinette yelled, leaping on the other her’s back. She grabbed a fistful of black hair and yanked. Her double screeched, clawing behind her. “We are not!” – she yanked harder – “Adding!” – she reached out with her other hand to grab the earring – “To the people!” – they slammed into a nearby lightpost – “Adrien loves!” – her double’s nails raked down the side of her face – Who!” – she grabbed the hand, twisting it, forcing her face into the ground – “Are!” – her hand closed on the other her’s ear – “Evil!”

Her double bit down on Marinette’s hand, sinking her teeth into her thumb. Marinette let go with a cry and her double grabbed her, hurling her to the ground.“Speak for yourself. I think it sounds _fun._ Do you think he’ll cry? I hope so.”

With a feral cry Marinette launched herself at her clone.

* * *

“So,” Luka said, awkwardly glancing down at Marinette’s phone as he walked, “You know my name.”

The other boy didn’t even so much as glance over from the other screens around him. “I do.”

Luka waited. It became obvious the guy wasn’t going to say anything else. “Do I get to know your name in return?”

The guy grimaced like he’d bit into something sour. He turned further away, typing aggressively at a keyboard Luka couldn’t see. “Damian.”

“Not a fan of your name?”

Damian looked up, glaring at him through the screen. After a long moment he turned back to his computers in a clear dismissal. “My name is perfectly acceptable.” Right. Not a fan of _Luka_ then. Message received.

…He could just hang up. There was no reason he had to keep talking to him.

As soon as the thought crossed his mind he dismissed it. A cold jerk or not Damian was clearly worried about Marinette and leaving him in the dark like that would be cruel.

Of course he cared about Marinette. Who _wouldn’t_ care about Marinette? But that didn’t explain how he ended up as someone Marinette cared about. Marinette had never tolerated jerks and he couldn’t figure out why she’d be friends with someone so… like Damian.

Maybe he was part of some long-distance digital pen-pal program or something. Or maybe his family knew her family. Or maybe it was someone she met a long time ago that she was too nice to stop talking with whenever he called.

Except that wouldn’t explain Marinette’s smile.

“How do you know Marinette?” 

Damian scowled again, glaring at nothing at all on his side of the screen. There were a lot of emotions going on there that between the distance and dim lighting Luka had no hope of unpacking. If he had to take a guess he’d say Damian looked almost… mad at himself? “I’m her soulmate.”

Luka tripped. The phone went clattering on the ground. He scrambled to retrieve it, holding it in suddenly numb fingers. 

It was like all the music had stopped. There was no music left. There was no sound at all.

Suddenly everything came rushing back in a confusing clash of toneless noise.

“S-Soulmate?”

“Yes.”

“I didn’t– I didn’t know Marinette has a soulmate.”

“Well she does,” Damian bit out. He turned and glared straight at Luka. 

Luka took an automatic step back from the force of it before remembering he was talking to Damian through a _phone_. “It’s just I’ve never heard Marinette talk about having a soulmate.” Even through the phone Luka could tell Damian’s song was full of dissonant chords and minor notes. It was hard to believe someone like that was supposedly the other half of Marinette.

“Not everyone is as public with their soulbond as your sister and Lavillant. It’s not somehow diminished by a desire to keep it _private._ ”

“I didn’t mean it like that.” Damian glared at him for a long moment before turning back to his monitors in yet another clear dismissal. Luka was sensing a pattern here.

“We have a confirmed name for the akuma. Ne’er-Two-Well.” Damian let out a long sigh through his nose and muttered something in English. Luka didn’t know enough to know what he said but he thought he could make out the word brother.

“Any sign of Ladybug or Chat Noir?”

“No sign of either yet.” Damian had pulled out an entirely different phone and was typing into it grumbling yet more English. Luka didn’t need to know the words to understand _that_ particular tone.

“They’ll be there,” he said firmly. “Ladybug and Chat Noir are our heroes. They’ve never let us down.”

“If they were really the heroes you claim they are they’d already be there. They’re better than this. At least they are when they actually do their jobs.”

“They’re doing the best they can.”

“If they were really doing their best they would be there already! Letting people get hurt or hit or–” As soon as the outburst started Damian reined it back in. Luka had never seen someone banish their emotions so quickly. And Luka lived in _Hawkmoth’s Paris._ How was it **_he_** had the other half of Marinette’s soul?

“Luka!!” Luka turned. Juleka appeared out of a nearby alley and ran over to him, Rose, Nino and Alya beside her. “What are you doing out in the middle of the street? There’s an akuma attack going on.”

“We know.”

“We?” Nino asked. He craned his neck leaning over Luka’s shoulder. “And is that Marinette’s phone?” He blinked when he caught sight of Damian on the screen before pushing the brim of his hat up in greeting. “Oh hey, what’s up dude?”

Damian didn’t bother returning the greeting. “Marinette was hit.”

“What?!” Alya snatched the phone out of Luka’s hands. “When did this happen?”

“Five minutes ago,” Luka said. “I’ve been looking for her. Damian’s been tracking reports of Ne’er-Two-Well sightings.”

“Your name’s Damian?” Rose asked, popping up behind Alya’s shoulder. “It’s so nice to learn your name! I didn’t get a chance to introduce myself last time I’m–”

“Rose Lavillant,” Damian cut in. Apparently he did the full name thing with everyone.

While the others were busy with Damian, Luka took advantage of the moment to side up next to his sister. “A soulmate?” he asked in a low voice.

Juleka shrugged. She fiddled with the ends of her hair, glancing up apologetically. “I only just found out this afternoon from Rose. I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t have even told me if we weren’t soulmates. It sounds like Marinette likes to keep the whole thing pretty secret.”

Luka looked back at where the others were crowded around the phone. Alya was gesturing wildly at the screen while Nino had an arm around her shoulder, the way he did when he just was hanging out with friends, chiming in in time with his girlfriend. Marinette’s two closest friends were certainly comfortable enough talking to him. “Yeah. Maybe.”

“So!” Alya said loudly, clapping her hands together. Nino dived to save Marinette’s phone from yet another fall. “Do we know what Ne’er-Two-Well’s powers are?”

“They split people into two separate good and evil halves.”

“So there are two Marinettes running around?” Nino asked. Everyone turned to look at Luka. Oh, right. He’d be the best person for this next part.

“One Marinette ran off in this direction with the other chasing after her. They didn’t stick around long enough for me to see which one was the evil one. They were identical either way so I’m not sure how we’ll be able to tell even if we do find either her.”

“I’ll know,” Damian said with absolute certainty.

“Yeah!” Rose chirped. “If Marinette’s mean to us, that’s the evil one!”

Something beeped on Damian’s side of the screen. “Chat Noir’s finally shown up. Still no sign of Ladybug.”

“She’ll be there. We’ll get Marinette back together in no time. Where is the fight anyway?”

“It’s heading straight for you. I’d suggest finding cover. Chat Noir’s out for the moment. He’s already been thrown through a wall. I don’t know what else I was expecting. He needs to either learn how to properly deflect blows in midair, or stop leaping at his opponents. Right now all he’s doing is making himself into an even easier target.”

“Hey,” Alya said, putting a hand on her hip. “Don’t go insulting our heroes. Marinette doesn’t insult Robin when he gets himself ‘slightly blown up’. Lay off.”

“Speaking of Marinette, isn’t that her up there? Fighting herself?”

* * *

“GIVE ME THE EARRING!” Marinette yelled, scrabbling at her double’s face.

Her double grabbed a hank of her hair, doing her best to rip it from her skull. “YOU _FIRST!!_ ”

_“MWAH HA HA HA!!! YES!! RUN IN TERROR!!! IT WILL DO YOU NO GOOD!! NONE CAN ESCAPE **NE’ER-TWO-WELL!!!!!!”**_ Marinette jumped. She stared up as the two brightly colored, joined akumas appeared. They marched forward, firing wildly.

There was a hand on her ear. Deft fingers unpinned her earring, pulling it away.

“Hey!” Her hand came up to her empty earlobe, just a second too late to stop her double.

“Too slow! I really need to thank Ne’er-Two-Well. First they create me and then they come up with this handy-dandy distraction for you!” Her double turned to run, weaving through the nearby pillars. Marinette followed. She grabbed the side of one of the pillars, jumping up on it and pushing off before she could fall. She caught her double’s arm but continued going, flying past her. Her double, now unbalanced and still trapped in Marinette’s grip, went with her, crashing into Marinette until their combined momentum sent them past the pillars, into the stairway.

They fell down the stairs, tumbling through the air–

–Straight into Ne’er-Two-Well’s beam.

* * *

“They’re really going at it, aren’t they?”

“Get her Marinette!!” Nino yelled. “Um, which Marinette should I be rooting for?”

“That Marinette just bit the other one she has to be the evil one!” Rose cried, pointing at the where the Marinettes were trying to kill each other.

“No wait, that can’t be the good Marinette she just slammed the other’s face into the pavement. And oh wow. She’s still slamming it. She’s– I didn’t know Mari could be that vicious.”

“Oooh. That was a cheap shot.”

“From which one?”

“Both.”

“At least the self-defense training is paying off,” Damian said. He was completely focused on some screen out of view, looking both proud and incredibly pained. Luka wasn’t sure how he’d did it but he’d bet good money Damian had found someone streaming with an angle on Marinette. He should probably be more concerned about Damian spying on Marinette like that.

“Dude,” Nino said, staring down at the phone, “what self-defense classes did you _recommend?_ Because _that_ ” –he pointed at the two Marinettes– “is scary.”

Alya broke free, racing toward the fighting Marinettes. “We need to help her!”

“Which one?” Juleka called, getting pulled along behind her.

“Both!”

Suddenly Ne’er-Two-Well appeared. They caught sight of Alya and Juleka, firing at the two girls.

Luka watched the beam heading straight for his little sister. “Juleka!” He had to do something, he had to save her.

He was a _hero_. He had to save his sister!

“Luka no don’t!” Rose grabbed him around the middle, pulling him back.

The beam hit.

It was over in just a few seconds. The light faded revealing two Alyas and two Julekas sitting up rubbing their heads.

_“Grab them!”_ Damian yelled. At the same time an evil grin split one of the Alyas’ faces. She grabbed for the phone sitting on the ground between them, cackling. Nino broke from their shelter, diving at one half of his girlfriend.

Luka sprinted over sister, grabbing her in a bear hug. Evil Juleka screeched, squirming and fighting like she was possessed. “Let me go!” Luka held on tighter.

“It’s okay Juleka. I’m here.”

“I hate you!” she yelled, trying to scratch at his face. A tight pit formed in the bottom of his stomach at the amount of pure rage in her eyes.

“You don’t mean that.”

“Yes, I do! You’re the worst brother ever! You’re just like mom, all you care about is your music! I _hate_ you!”

Luka went numb. His hands fell away from around her, falling dead at his sides. Juleka was still saying more but he couldn’t hear it. He couldn’t hear anything. Just one sustained, dissonant note.

Juleka turned, hand upraised to hit him. Luka didn’t move. There was still so much rage in her eyes. This was his little sister. His baby sister. Where had he gone wrong? 

And then suddenly Marinette was there. She grabbed Juleka and spun her around, throwing her headfirst into her other self and both Alyas right as the other Marinette sprinted past, grabbing Nino as she went. Ne’er-Two-Well’s beam fired, encircling both sets of copies.

* * *

“unrgh…” For the second time that day Marinette sat up, rubbing her head. She blinked open her eyes, staring straight at herself. Other Marinette blinked back at her, holding her own head. In her other hand was Marinette’s earring. “The earrings! Give them back!”

“Wait!” other her squeaked, holding out her hands. “Wait I’m not evil!”

“What? No, of course you are. You stole my earring and you were going to go after Adrien. You’re the evil half!”

“No I’m not! At least I don’t think I am. I don’t _feel_ evil. But what if I am and I just don’t know it! Oh no! I don’t want to be evil!! And Adrien! I don’t want to add to the list of people in his life who are evil! It’s too long already! But I stole your half of the miraculous!! Oh no I really _am_ the evil half! You’d better take the miraculous, I can’t be trusted with them.” She moved to pull her half of the miraculous off. Except as she did so the fingers of the hand holding the other half slipped, pushing too hard. Both earrings went flying.

Marinette’s hand shot out, grabbing them. “I don’t think you’re the evil half.”

Other Marinette immediately brightened. “I’m not? Oh thank goodness! That’s a relief.” She sighed, slumping in relief. “Wait,” she said suddenly sitting back up. “Does that mean _you’re_ the evil half? Oh no. And I just gave you both halves of the earrings. Can I, uh, can I have those back please?”

“I don’t think I’m the evil half either. I think when we got hit the second time it switched what traits we split on.”

“Oh, good. That’s a relief. I really wasn’t looking forward to fighting you. If it’s not good and evil anymore I wonder what traits we’re split on.” She tried to stand up only to trip over air and slam back down on her butt. “Ow.”

Marinette stifled a laugh, reaching down to help her double up. “I’m not sure exactly but I think you got all the clumsy.”

“Great,” other her said, rubbing her backside. “Maybe you should keep the earrings.”

“Probably.” She’d just finished pinning them back in when they heard a scream. “Was that Luka?”

“Over there!” Across the courtyard were Luka, Nino, Rose, Alya and Juleka… along with a second Alya and Juleka. “We have to help them!”

Marinette had already turned away, scanning the area for the best place to transform and roof to launch off of. “They’ll return to normal after I defeat the akuma.” That one would do. It had an overhang with a railing she could latch her yoyo onto and swing up from.

The other her grabbed her hand. She pulled her back, almost unbalancing herself as she did so. “We can’t do nothing!” Marinette tried to peel her off but the other her clung tight, staring up at her.

She didn’t have time for this. But it would be quicker to deal with her other half than try to shake her off. “Alright. Fine.” she scanned the area again, this time with a new goal in mind. “I have a plan. Count to ten and then get Ne’er-Two-Well’s attention and run over to where Juleka and the Alyas are. When you pass get Nino to go with you. I’ll handle everything else.”

“Are you sure? That seems like a lot of running for me. What if I trip?”

“You’re just going to have to not. I need to get everyone else into position and that’s going to take a lot more finesse.”

“O-Okay.”

Marinette put both hands on her double’s shoulders, staring at her, silently conveying unshakable reassurance. “It’ll be fine. I promise.”

“Wow. Chat Noir’s right. We’re really good at that. Okay. Count of ten?”

Marinette smiled. She got to her feet, already mapping out her next moves. “Count of ten.”

* * *

Luka stared at Marinette.

Both… Marinettes.

The… Marinette across the way had tripped over her feet and was now in a pile of limbs along with Nino on the ground.

The… Marinette closest to him was already rising from her crouch. “That ought to do it,” she said with a confident smirk. “And now to handle the real problem. Marinette!” she yelled, already running off. “Stay here with the others!”

“Got it! Good luck Marinette!” the remaining Marinette called, waving after her. She tried to extradite herself only to slip and fall back against Nino. “Oh. Hi guys!”

Nino blinked back at her. “Hi?”

Both Alyas and Julekas sat up, rubbing their heads. Luka tensed. He would need to tackle Juleka again. He didn’t think he would be able to again.

He was a horrible brother.

Then Juleka turned and looked up at him. “Luka?” Not one but both of them scrambled up, flinging themselves at him. Luka fell back with an oof, very confused. Didn’t half his sister hate him?

Before he had time to figure it out both Alyas sat up. “Is everyone okay?” one of them asked.

“I think so,” the other Alya said. Then she suddenly sat bolt upright. “Nino!” she yelled, shooting to her feet, “Which way did Ne’er-Two-Well go?”

“Um, that… way?”

“I’ve got to go record it!”

“No wait! We need to stay here with the others where it’s…” but the other Alya had already run off. “…safe.”

“Should we be worried about the fact that Alya’s evil half just ran off?”

Marinette waved a hand, accidently hitting Nino in the face. “Oh, it’s fine. She’s not evil anymore.”

_“Marinette.”_ Marinette jumped at the sound of Damian’s voice. She scrambled for her phone where Alya has dropped it.

“Damian!” She cried. She gripped the phone with both hands, bringing it close to her face. “Oh my gosh I’m so sorry!” Her grip was too tight and the phone popped out of her hands. She juggled frantically for it but it was no use and it clattered back to the ground. “I didn’t even think about the fact that I was on the phone with you when I ran off! I should have–”

“Marinette– _Marinette._ It’s alright. As long as you’re alright. Tell me you’re alright.”

Marinette blinked. Then she smiled. It was the same smile Luka had seen her wearing before, on the steps. “I’m alright.”

“As long as you’re alright nothing else is important.” The angle of the phone meant Luka couldn’t see his face. But his voice was music all on its own. Those same ascending fourths. “Now all we have to do is find your other half and make sure she’s safe as well.”

“Oh no that’s fine I’m sure she’s okay! I’m sure _I’m_ okay? This is really confusing. In fact I know she’s fine she’s–” Marinette let out an eep and slapped her hands over her mouth. “She’s brave! And way more skilled than me! I think I got all our clumsy. Would it be _our_ clumsy or _my_ clumsy since there’s usually only one of me. One of _us?_ Wow this is weird. And anyway you wouldn’t be able to find me – find _her?_ – since she– ahhahaha Since! Since it’ll be so chaotic with the akuma attack. Because akuma attacks are always like that. She’s probably helping others stay safe! That’s what I’d do and she’s me, _I’m_ me?”

“Um, Marinette?” Alya piped in, “what exactly did you mean by the other me not being evil?”

“Oh! Um, apparently if you get hit a second time the traits that are split get shuffled. So rather than good and evil you get something else?”

Luka glanced down at both copies of his little sister. That would explain a lot. He shifted his hold so both his arms were wrapped more fully around their shoulders, happy to put the entire episode behind him.

“So that was, what, bloodhound reporter Alya?” Nino asked, motioning in the direction Alya had run off in.

“…Probably?”

“Oh man! She’s gonna get herself seriously hurt. We have to go after her!”

Alya grabbed his arm, forcing him to a halt. “It’s safer if we stay here out of the way and trust Ladybug and Chat Noir to handle it, rather than creating more distractions for them.”

“Who are you and what have you done with my girlfriend?” Nino asked, squinting at her.

The Juleka on his right blew her bangs out of her eyes. “Rose, do you have a hair clip I can borrow?”

“Huh? Oh, sure Juleka,” Rose said, fishing out a sparkling pink and white barrette. “Here you go.”

Juleka leaned forward and took the clip, pecking Rose on the lips as she did so. “Merci ma moitié.”

Nino, Alya and Marinette all stopped. Juleka – the other Juleka? Marinette was right, this was confusing – buried her face in his shoulder.

“Dude. I think I’ve seen you guys actually kiss like three times in my entire life.”

Rose and… the more outgoing Juleka? shared a glance before both shrugging.

“Not everyone is public with their relationship,” Luka cut in. “Juleka and Rose are prefer to keep parts of it _private_.”

Nino backed up a half-step, hands held up. “Sorry dude. Dudettes. I didn’t mean anything by it, I swear.”

Luka blinked at his own words. Where had that come from? And why had it come out so sharply? He didn’t mean to snap at Nino.

“Tt.”

Oh. He was trying to get to _Damian._ And all he managed was worrying Nino. This was why Luka was bad at people. “Sorry.”

“It’s all cool dude.”

“It’s fine Luka. You’re just standing up for our Juleka.” Or using her relationship with her soulmate to fail at attacking Marinette’s soulmate. Evil Juleka had been right he was the worst brother ever. “And Nino, Juleka’s not a big fan of kissing in public usually.”

“Right now I can’t remember why though,” Juleka said planting another kiss on Rose’s cheek.

Rose let out a little giggle although she did step back out of range of any more. “I’ll never say no to Juleka kisses but it’s more important to me just being with her and that we’re both comfortable. And I think you’re making other you a little uncomfortable.” Everyone glanced over at the second Juleka who buried herself even further into his side.

“Fine. I’ll stop.” She laced her fingers together with Rose’s. “Just for you ma moitié. Nino’s right, we still need to go after the other Alya and the other Marinette.”

“I’m sure we don’t need to do that!” Marinette squeaked.

“I’m with Marinette. We should stay where it’s safe.”

“But we can’t just leave them out there alone! They’re our friends!”

“We won’t help anyone if we’re hit by that akuma. We’re lucky none of us are actively evil right now. There are still three other people in our group who could get hit.”

“So that means we don’t even try?”

This wasn’t getting them anywhere. Someone had to take charge. Usually that’d be Marinette but that didn’t look like it was an option this time. It was up to Luka to step up. As soon as the thought formed he almost immediately mentally recoiled. He hated leading. He was horrible at it.

Come on. Time to step up. He was a hero. Ladybug had chosen him to wield the snake miraculous. He would live up to her faith in him, even without the mask.

“The smartest move would be to head in the direction of Ne’er-Two-Well while remaining cautious. The second Marinette and Alya are most likely there as well. While Ladybug’s cure has historically fixed everything with little to no repercussions it would still be safer to have them closer to their other halves when everything is set to rights.”

“Great idea Damian!”

“You’re totally right dude!”

Marinette beamed at Damian. Her entire face lighting up just for him. “You’re brilliant Damian. I shouldn’t be surprised you have a plan you always have a plan. You’re always brilliant.”

“I can continue to track the akuma and map out the safest path.”

“Guess Damian’s leading us.”

* * *

Chat leapt onto the nearby roof, scanning the ground for the akuma. That last wall had caused him to lose their trail. The last wall. This akuma had quite the backswing. And way too big a fondness for walls.

“If I were two akumas trying to Jekyll and Hyde as many people as possible, where would I be…?” You’d think it would be easier to find an akuma whose _one job_ was to literally attack _him personally_ but no, how about a nice game of chase across half of Paris and back first?

“NO ONE CAN ESCAPE US!!”

Chat let a grin spread across his face. “There we go.” One baton lift-and-launch later and he was hurtling straight for Ne’er-Two-Well. “Incoming!” he yelled, dropping ever-faster through the air, baton poised. “Double Time!” Ne’er-Two-Well turned, blasting at him. Chat brought his baton in front of him spinning it wildly. The shot blasted off his shield, ricocheting into the distance.

Unfortunately while it didn’t land the hit threw off his trajectory. He landed stumbling, way, way too close to the akumas. The rightmost one raised their hand to strike. Crap he was going through another wall wasn’t he?

Then a yoyo wrapped itself around Ne’er-Two-Well’s arm and pulled. “Sorry I’m late. I got held up.” The akuma went flying across the way. Yeah! This time _they_ were the one going through the wall! And in the biggest boon of the fight so far it turned out the two akumas physically couldn’t be too far apart, as evidenced by the other half sailing after their partner.

Chat felt his grin soften into something a little less feral and a little more real. An instinctive reaction to his partner, even now. “Not a problem my Lady. You know I’m always happy to see your lovely face.”

Ladybug strode over, yoyo shield spinning until she was at his side. Once she was close enough her noise scrunched up in disgust. “Chat Noir, why do you smell like a sewer?”

Chat’s brain flashed back to the hunt for a sewer entrance to the secret underground lair that _had_ to be under his home somewhere that he’d been on when Robin had called. “Um… Don’t worry about it. It’s not important.”

“Chat Noir–”

“It’s nothing. It didn’t pan out anyway.” He spun his baton, more as a distraction for his hands than anything else. We should probably get back to the fight before Ne’er-Two-Well decides to double down.”

Ladybug looked especially unimpressed. But in the end she chose to let it slide and turn back to the fight. “We _are_ talking about it later!”

“Fine, fine. In the meantime, let’s show this akuma **_our_** double team.”

* * *

“Take this alley. The street’s overrun ahead.”

Luka did his best not to glare. He’d already known Damian did not like him. By now he could say the feeling was very much mutual.

He hated leading. But Adrien wasn’t much for leading either. It was different when they were _both_ following Marinette. Rather than… this.

“How are you getting all this information anyway?” Did no one else wonder how someone all the way in _America_ knew what was going on a block and a half from them more accurately than they did, who were actually _here?_ He’d either hacked into everything or he was lying wildly about things he couldn’t possibly know.

A criminal or a liar.

Either way Marinette deserved better.

“The number of civilians who continue to record and post during akuma attacks is enormous.”

_“Civilians?”_

“Gotham has been dealing with superheroes and villains a lot longer than we have.” Gotham? Marinette’s soulmate lived in **_Gotham?_** Even his mother wouldn’t go to Gotham. “There’s probably a lot different in how you talk about superhero fights after so long with them. You get more used to it. That’s probably why you’re so good at staying calm. I’m horrible at it but you always know what to. And even when you do get upset you’re so good at pushing through it and staying focused. I aalways feel like I keep getting tripped up by what I’m feeling rather than stopping to think. Of course, you might be a little _too_ good at pushing through your emotions. I don’t think you always let yourself go back and sort through them afterwards. And you don’t really just let yourself feel. You don’t laugh enough. You deserve to laugh. You have the best laugh too. It always makes you sound so free. It’s like it’s the real you. Not that other yous aren’t the real you too! It’s just when you laugh it’s moreso. Your smile is the same way. You have the best smile. There’s one – I mean, all your smiles are the best, but there’s one that includes your whole face…”

Luka was going to throw that stupid phone into a wall until it shattered. It wouldn’t even be the first phone Luka’d chucked into a wall.

Juleka noticed his increasing annoyance. She detached herself from Rose, tucking herself against him. “Hey,” she said, “Are you alright?”

Luka did his best to make the smile he gave her a reassuring one. His fingers itched for his guitar. This whole thing would be so much easier if he was playing his music. He didn’t think the others would be okay with him stopping in the middle of the street to play something right that second. “I’m okay. Promise.”

“…About what I said. Earlier. When I was still… evil.”

Luka stuttered in his walking. He did not want to talk about this. Not here. They could talk about at home using their guitars to talk through music. But not here. Not with everyone else with just words and no music to balance it out. “It’s fine. You weren’t yourself.”

Everyone knew not to listen to someone under akuma influence. It was fine. They’d go home tonight and both pull out their guitars and play together and let themselves settle that way. And if there was anything else they still needed to say to each other after they’d have the music to help.

“I know,” the shyer Juleka mumbled into his side. “But…”

Luka ducked his head to press his lips to the crown of his sister’s head. Their mother wasn’t the most… conventional mother, but she loved them. She gave them their freedom to be who they wanted to be. And if sometimes Luka had to pick up the slack when it came to Juleka’s day-to-day life, well… then he was there to pick up the slack.

“You’re the best brother ever,” Juleka said, picking up where the other her trailed off. “You know that right? You’re not like mom. You’re always there for me.”

“And you’re the best sister ever.”

“Other me was being mean just to be mean. I don’t know why I said it.”

“Your evil self said it deliberately to hurt him as much as possible,” Damian butted in. Luka glared at the phone while Juleka clung to his hand and buried her face back in his shoulder. Damian didn’t notice. “That version of you was a literal embodiment of all your worst, most negative qualities, entirely stripped of any sort of moral framework. If you really thought he didn’t care about you, you never would have said it. It’s precisely because he is such a caring and involved brother that she knew such an accusation would hurt him as much as it did.” Luka curled his hand into a fist to keep himself from grabbing the phone and chucking it far enough it landed in the Seine. The worst part was that Damian was probably right.

“Now that sounds like the voice of experience? One of your family get hit with something similar or something?”

_“Nino,”_ Alya hissed, _“We shouldn’t pry. That’s **private.** ”_

“Hey,” Marinette said. She took the phone from Nino, carefully cradling it between her hands. “You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to. You know I’d never push you to talk about something.”

Damian glanced up. When he spoke even though it was still in French it was clear it was mean for Marinette alone. “Grayson. He’s usually the most… openly affectionate of all of us. He said I should have stayed–” As suddenly as he’d started Damian cut himself. “It doesn’t matter. He said the same thing to Todd. It was clear he was merely following a script rather than putting any real meaning into what he said. And anyway, it was almost two years ago. It’s in the past.”

“You guys did talk about it though, right? I mean, um, that is, you should, I don’t mean you _should_ like I know what’s good for you better than you, I just mean–”

“For once, yes,” Damian gently cut Marinette’s babbling off. “We did. The ensuing conversation was worse than dealing with the reversed Grayson had been, but it was necessary.”

“Oh. Okay, good. I’m glad.”

Damian smiled, smaller than the “I’m glad too.”

* * *

“…aaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaa…!” *SPLASH!!*

Chat fished himself out of the Seine, spitting out a stream of river water. “Great. Now I’ll smell like sewer and fish. Today’s just going _swimmingly._ ”

“Chat Noir!”

“Don’t worry, I’m fine!”

Ladybug landed on the edge of the nearby bridge, glaring with her hands on her hips like an annoyed Professor Mendeleiev. “That’s not what I’m upset about. I gave you a position to cover. You broke rank to tackle Ne’er-Two-Well against orders.”

“Against _orders?_ And Ne’er-Two-Well’s beam was about to hit you!”

“I would have been fine; I’ve already been hit twice.”

“What!?!” Chat slipped, falling back into the river. “We’re not going to have to deal with an evil Ladybug, are we?” A thought struck him and he gripped his staff tighter. “Unless we’re _already_ dealing with an evil Ladybug?”

“Please,” Ladybug said, rolling her eyes. “If I was evil you would have noticed by now. If you get hit a second time the traits get switched.”

“And you’re just now telling me that? Either that!?”

“It wasn’t important. If you had listened and done your job _properly_ it wouldn’t have been a problem at all.”

“No, no way. We _just_ got past the whole, unequal partnership, secret-keeping phase. We are **not** backsliding.”

Ladybug pulled out her yoyo and threw a line back into the city. “Chat Noir if you’re not going to focus you can extradite yourself from this fight,” she said before swinging away.

Chat heaved himself out of the river a second time. He watched her go , wringing water from his tail. “There are two Ladybugs; is it too late to swap out which one I _half_ to partner with?”

* * *

“The other Alya’s found the fight.”

Nino groaned. He turned to pass off Marinette’s phone back to her before pausing and handing it to Alya instead. Probably for the best given that their Marinette had _definitely_ gotten all the clumsy like she’d suggested earlier. Digging out his own phone he pulled up a feed of the Ladyblog.

_“–blog bringing you the best, most in the action reports of all Paris’s akuma attacks! Let’s get closer.”_

“I can’t watch.”

“The timing’s useful. Nadja Chamack just got hit and is now fighting with herself for control of the camera.

_“Let’s get even closer!”_

Nino gripped the phone with white knuckles. “She’s going to get killed, she’s going to get killed. Dude, which way we need to get there now.”

Luka could see Damian roll his eyes. “Keep going straight. Honestly so far her actions have been no worse than they usually are in pursuit of a ‘Ladyblog-worthy scoop’.”

_“Ooh!! I know! Mid-fight interviews!! Ladybug! Chat Noir!”_

Damian paused. “It’s possible I spoke too soon.”

Everyone crowded around Nino. Rose and Marinette as the shortest, ducked under Nino’s arms while Alya leaned into his side, leaving Luka and both Julekas to crane their heads over the others shoulders. Onscreen a car went flying through the air straight at Alya. Rather than trying to get away Alya kept running straight toward it.

At the last second Chat Noir slammed into her. The feed turned into a dizzying swirl for several seconds as they rolled before finally coming back into focus.

_“Chat Noir!”_ Onscreen Alya shoved her camera into Chat’s face, providing an excellent shot of his nostril until Chat managed to push the phone away. _“Got anything you want to say to all the viewers watching?”_ Onscreen Alya paused, scrunching up her nose. _“What’s that smell?”_

“Did I just– Did I just stick my face into Chat Noir’s neck and **_smell him?_** Marinette, Nino, guys, _pleeeaaasse_ tell me I did not just do that.”

_“Chat why do you smell faintly like rotting fish?”_

“I mean, _technically_ it wasn’t you-you, it was her-you. Other you. So _teeechnically_ only half of you sniffed him.”

_“…You were hit by Ne’er-Two-Well, weren’t you?”_

“Yes. You did.”

“Damian, that’s not helpful.”

_“Twice!”_

“Oh god just kill me now.”

“Okay!” Rose cried, clapping her hands together.

“What!” Juleka cried. “We’re not going to kill Alya!!”

“What!” Rose echoed, “No!! I didn’t mean– I meant, _okay_! So other Alya was a little embarrassing under the influence of the akuma, everybody’s done something embarrassing under the influence of an akuma. We just need a distraction!”

Everyone turned and stared Rose.

“I just **_smelled_** Chat Noir.”

“And last month Ivan licked the side of Kim’s head.”

“It’s not the same thing,” Alya wailed. Nino wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

“Marinette told you about that?” Luka asked.

Marinette blinked, looking confused. “I didn’t. I didn’t even know that had even happened.”

Alya peaked her head out from Nino’s shoulder, already looking less upset with a proper distraction in front of her. “You follow the Ladyblog?”

“I do,” Damian agreed cagily.

“Oh. Ohh!! You’re that anon who’s always really formal and kind of mean, aren’t you!” Damian went suspiciously silent. “You _are._ I’ve had to ding you like ten times. I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was you. I shouldn’t have done that. I shouldn’t have dinged you; you weren’t doing anything wrong or against my blog’s policy you were just being mean.”

“I wasn’t mean I was _constructive._ ”

“I haven’t had to ding you in a few weeks. I’m sorry! Not had to, I didn’t _have_ to I _chose_ to and I really shouldn’t have you weren’t technically doing anything _wrong–_ ” Nino placed a hand on his girlfriend’s shoulder, cutting her off.

“Girl, breathe. We get you.”

“Thanks Nino.”

“She’s right though. I help mod sometimes and you’ve been way quieter in your Ladybug and Chat Noir fight critique lately.”

“I know why!” Marinette chirped. Then her eyes went wind and she slammed her hands over her mouth yet again. She buried her head in her hands. “I hate this.”

“…Marinette. Tell me about the first time you tried bike the section of the Seine in Paris.”

“What? I’ve already told you that story. I’ve told it to you repeatedly.”

“I know. Tell it to me again.”

“Okay. I’d gotten a new bike for birthday. It was bright pink and so pretty and I was sure it would let me actually fly if I could just figure out how. And I decided I was going to bike the entire length of the Seine. All the way from one side of Paris to the other and then back. Up one bank and down the other. I had a whole plan. I’m sure you remember it, I told you about it that morning.

“I remember. It was a twelve-step plan and included a contingency for an ice cream break.”

“You need to plan for the important things. Right, so I’d told you my plan that morning. But I kind of forgot to tell either of my parents…” Marinette continued to tell the story of her disastrous bike ride turned accidental runaway attempt. She looked more relaxed now, smiling and gesturing as she recounted what was clearly a well-known and much-loved story between the two of them, even if it was one he’d never heard before. Damian had returned to his monitors while somehow seemingly still giving his entire attention to Marinette.

He could almost see it now. A whisper of how their souls fit together into one complete whole. The way their two melodies harmonized to make one song.

* * *

“Lucky Charm! An uninflated inflatable life-raft. What am I supposed to do with– oh I see. Chat Noir, I need those helium containers from that cart over there!”

“What are you thinking?”

“We know they can’t get too far apart.” Ladybug lifted up the raft. “I’m going to separate them. They’ve been keeping you back with their beams–”

“–But you’ve already been hit! Meaning you can’t be affected!”

Ladybug grinned, readying her yoyo. “I love when Hawkmoth gives us the answer to taking down his akuma in their own power set.”

* * *

It happened in the blink of the eye. One minute they’re walking, Marinette happily sharing childhood stories, keeping them all distracted, the next she, Alya and the Juleka next to Rose have vanished into thin air with a quiet _pop_. Marinette’s phone hit the ground for what had to be the twentieth time that day. Juleka staggered and clutched at her head.

“Woah, headrush.”

Luka reached forward to steady her. “You okay?”

“Yeah. I’m fine. Just a some akuma-shakes, nothing serious.” She bent down and picked up Marinette’s phone.

“We’re almost to where Alya’s filming,” Nino said, glancing at his phone. “And since the fight’s over we don’t have to worry about running into any evil twins. We’ll have to hope Marinette is somewhere nearby.”

“And here come the ladybugs.”

* * *

“Cataclysm!” Chat flipped the akumatized coin in the air catching it with his cataclysm-encased hand. “And that takes care of that.” Bubbling purple and black light covered the akumas, leaving two normal teenagers behind. “Pound–” Ladybug stumbled and clutched her head. “Ladybug.”

“I’m okay. I’ve just got to sort through two sets of memories suddenly getting crammed into one.”

With a single claw he popped the raft and pulled it out from coils of Ladybug’s yoyo. “May I offer you a headache cure?”

“Thanks kitty. You’re a lifesaver.”

“See? I knew it was a good thing I didn’t leave the fight.”

Ladybug shot straight upright. “Oh gosh I said that didn’t I? Oh my gosh I was so mean to you the entire fight! I’m so so sorry.”

Chat reached out and grabbed her hand with his. There was his bug back. “It’s fine my Lady, I promise. I guess you could say you weren’t _all there?”_

Ladybug buried her face in her other hand but she didn’t pull away and Adrien could see the helpless smile curling at her lips. Victory, Chat Noir. “Kitty that was awful.”

“urgghh…” The victims sat up, rubbing at their heads. A pair of twins a couple years younger than them. Ladybug bent down putting a hand on each of their shoulders.

“Are you two alright?”

“I think so…”

Chat leaned down next to her and held out the newly-restored coin to them. “Hey there, what are your guys’ names.”

“Jordane.”

“Sidney.”

“It’s nice to meet you. I always wanted a sibling. And being a twin has to be even better. A best friend in your own family.”

“That’s the problem,” Jordane said. “Everyone kept treating us like we were two halves of a whole rather than two separate people. Like one of us is always just… the extra.”

“Well you kind of gave everyone a taste of their own medicine. You split everyone into two halves of a whole.”

Sidney’s eyes went wide. “We did?”

“Hey it’s okay. No harm done.” He handed the coin over, wrapping their hands around it. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“And you helped add to the debate of who would win in a fight between Ladybug and Ladybug.”

Sidney’s eyes went even wider, this time with excitement. “We did?”

Jordane leaned forward. “Who won?”

“We both did,” Ladybug said with a grin. “We decided to work together instead.”

Chat grinned as well. “I bet Hawkmoth was just _beside himself_ over that.” Ladybug rolled her eyes but both Jordane and Sidney giggled. Victory number two, Chat Noir.

_be-be-be-be-beep!_

“We need to go. Will you two be alright?”

“Yeah. We’ll be okay.”

“Good.” With one final wave Ladybug swung off, Chat hot on her heels. She barely crested the first roof before her transformation fell away. Marinette crashed onto the roof, skidding across the shingles. “Ow. That couldn’t have happened _before_ my miraculous cure?”

Chat landed in a crouch next to her. “Ladybug?”

“I’m fine. I think being transformed while half of me wasn’t drained it quicker than usual. Lucky I swung away when I did.

“Well if anyone can count on good luck it’s you,” he said, offering his partner a hand up. Marinette took his hand.

Even as he kept staring the picture refused to magically change back. That was still Marinette on the roof with him, not Ladybug. Complete with a ladybug kwami floating next to her head. “So. I guess this kind of puts an end to any denial I could make, doesn’t it?”

Marinette gave him a sympathetic smile. “I think it does kitty.”

Adrien flopped backwards onto the roof. That was definitely an Adrien flop, magic suit or no. “Probably for the best. I was running out of mental gymnastics.”

“Well I wasn’t making it easy on you to ignore.”

“No you were **not.** ”

“Maybe tomorrow you could convince Nathalie to let you do your private studying in the library instead of the manor?”

Adrien shot conspiratorial grin at her. “And then convince Gorilla to drop me off at your house rather than the library?”

Marinette grinned right back. “You read my mind kitty.” Growing more serious, she reached out and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. “We can talk. About everything. There’s kind of a lot to talk about.”

“There is, isn’t there? But in the meantime…” He sprung to his feet and bowed. “Can I offer my partner a lift down to the ground floor?”

Marinette giggled, reaching out to take his hand. “You most certainly can.”

Once they hit the cement of the alley Adrien let his own transformation drop.

Plagg flew up to sit on his shoulder already munching on his emergency camembert. “So does that mean you’re gonna stop acting like an idiot now kid?” He finished the entire wedge in one bite before waving at Marinette’s kwami. “Hey there sugarcube.”

“Plagg! Have some manners. Hello Adrien.”

“Hi Tikki. It’s nice to see you again.”

“It’s very nice to see you too.”

Adrien caught Marinette’s eye over the heads of their kwamis. His partner smiled back. Then her eyes went wide and she shot up from the wall she was leaning against. “Oh no. I just remembered I was talking to Damian before I was hit. And other me was still on the line when she disappeared.”

“That’s not good. Birdy must be losing his mind.”

“Other me was with Nino, Alya, Rose, Juleka and Luka and we were pretty nearby already so it shouldn’t be too hard to find–” Marinette froze. She raised a single eyebrow at Adrien. “Birdy?”

“I’m still workshopping. What do you think of ‘Feathers’?”

“I think Damian might stab you.”

Adrien grinned. Feathers it was. “You won’t let him.”

Marinette just rolled her eyes and held out her purse for Tikki to dive into. “Come on kitty. Let’s go find the others.”

Adrien moved to follow her before stopping in the mouth of the alley. He fiddled with the edge of his shirt. “Hey, um, Marinette?” Marinette stopped, turning back to look at him.

“What is it kitty?”

“I know I haven’t taken this whole identity reveal thing the best. But um, I just want you to know… I’m really glad it’s you. I wouldn’t want anyone else as my Lady.”

“Adrien…” In three quick strides Marinette was directly in front of him. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a tight, fierce hug. “And I wouldn’t want anyone else as my Chaton.”

Adrien went stiff before sagging against her.

This. This was his partner.

This was the family he’d get to **_keep._**

For wielding misfortune and destruction, he was certain there was no one luckier in all of Paris than he was right that moment.

* * *

“Guys!!”

Rose jumped up and down waving wildly at Alya as she ran over to them. “Alya! You’re okay! We were watching your blog.”

Alya threw out her arms, divebombing into the group. “Can’t keep me down! I’ve got a killer headache and a memory of sniffing Chat Noir on camera which I really, really hope isn’t true.”

Everyone winced. “Um…”

“You did,” Damian cut in, blunt as ever. Seriously, soulmate or not, how could Marinette _stand_ the way he treated everyone else?

“I was really hoping I’d made that up. How’s my other double lady doing?”

“I’m embarrassed but happy over kissing Rose and got a hairclip.”

“You definitely win.”

“We still need to find Marinette.”

Nino caught sight of something behind Luka. “Or maybe not,” he said grinning and turning Damian’s screen toward whatever it was he saw.

Luka glanced over. Marinette and Adrien were jogging over from a nearby alleyway hand in hand.

“Hey guys!” Adrien called. “What’d we miss?”

“Marinette! Are you alright?”

“Damian!” Marinette eagerly accepted her phone, bringing it close to her face the same way her copy had. Luka supposed it had been too much to wish for that that fondness to be something that was only that strong from her overly-emotional half. No, **_all_** of Marinette had to be that in love with him. “I’m okay. I’m sorry. I’m sure this wasn’t the phone call you were expecting.”

“As long as you’re alright the phone call’s been perfect.”

“I ran into Adrien and we waited out the attack together.”

Adrien took that as his cue to pop up from behind Marinette’s shoulder. “Hey there Damian. Just you today?”

Luka could just make it out as Damian offered Adrien a brief nod. “Adrien. And yes, just me. It’s too early for the rest of my siblings.” So he was willing to be amicable to _Adrien_. You’d think he’d hate the boy Marinette had actually been in love with more than Luka.

Maybe Juleka had been right about Marinette’s feelings for Adrien having faded. Except it didn’t feel like they were gone. If anything the two of them looked even closer than ever.

The hesitant stray notes of longing he’d always heard in Marinette’s song were gone but Adrien wasn’t. If he were to pull out his guitar and start playing Marinette’s song right then he knew he’d find whole pieces of Adrien’s melody woven into it.

Maybe _that_ was why Damian was so much nicer to him. He’d behave around people he thought were a permanent part of Marinette’s life.

Then what did that say about Luka’s place in it?

“Well I don’t know about you guys.” Nino slung his arm around Adrien’s neck. “But I could go for some food.” Then he paused. He narrowed his eyes and leaned in closer to Adrien. “Anybody else smell that? It smells like… I don’t even know.”

“I… kind of got hit with Ne’er-Two-Well’s beam and I think evil me jumped into the sewer? No idea why. It’s not _that_ bad is it? It was worse before Ladybug’s cure.”

“Nah it’s not super noticeable or anything. I’m just not used to you not smelling like your usual twelve-showers-a-day fresh. Adrien the fragrance it is _not_.”

“Maybe it can be the next new scent from the line. Eau d’égout.”

“The original’s disgusting enough as is.”

Adrien craned his neck to grin down at the phone. “You know what Adrien the fragrance smells like?”

Damian glared at him. Even his glare was warmer than the ones he’d directed at Luka. “My brother’s arranged for a new bottle to arrive at our house addressed to me every day for the past three and a half weeks.”

Luka blinked. He had to have heard that wrong. A single bottle wasn’t cheap. Who would buy almost thirty bottles of it just for a prank? Exactly how rich was Marinette’s mystery soulmate?

Marinette stifled a giggle. “Tim?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“It sounds more like a Steph-style prank to me,” Adrien chimed in.

“If she is involved she’s maintaining plausible deniability. She’s trying to stay on Father’s good side at the moment.”

“What have you been doing with them?” Alya asked, leaning over into Marinette to see the screen. 

“Giving them to Todd. They make excellent makeshift explosives.”

“Explosives!” Rose yelped.

“I need to try that,” Adrien said. “I’ve got some extras at home from promotional shoots.”

Nino just looked concerned. “The more I find out about your family the more worried I get.”

“That is a common response.”

Before anyone could say anything else something on Damian’s side of the screen buzzed. The view shifted as he picked his phone up. “It’s the rest of my project group. They’re hoping to go over the project now. I believe they’re worried I’ll rescind my offer if they fail to act on it quick enough.”

“Gee,” Marinette said with a teasing smile. “I wonder where they’d get that idea.”

Damian glanced back up, hesitation obvious even through the screen. “I should go.”

Marinette’s smile softened. “Yeah, you probably should. Text me when you’re done with your group. Even if it’s late here. I’ll wait up. I still owe you those group project stories I promised you. And maybe you’ll have some stories of your own.”

A soft smile spread across Damian’s face. A perfect match to Marinette’s. Ascending perfect fourths. “Perhaps.”

Marinette pulled away several steps, bringing the phone close once again.

Luka thought about how all of them had crowded around the phone. The comfortable way Alya and Nino and Adrien had all included him in their conversation. Damian… fit. Not just into Marinette’s soul but into her life. He had a place there.

But it was then, as Marinette exchanged quiet goodbyes, a smile on her face that Luka had never seen before that day, that that earlier whisper of how their melodies fit together solidified.

It really was just one song.

Two halves, made whole.

“Hey,” Juleka murmured, knocking her shoulder against his. “You’ve gotten really quiet.”

Luka glanced over at his little sister. If he were to pull out his guitar and play her song he’d find whole pieces of his own melody woven within. The same way Rose’s melody harmonized with her song until the two were indistinguishable. The same way he would find pieces of Juleka’s melody in his own song.

The same way he would never find his melody in Marinette’s song in any more than the faintest notes destined to fade away into echoes.

“I–” he shut his mouth again. Words refused to come. His fingers itched for his guitar. He squeezed Juleka’s hand and hoped it would be reassurance enough.

“Juleka? Are you two coming with us to get food?” Rose asked.

Juleka shook her head. “I think we’re going to head home.”

“Oh,” Rose glanced up at him. “Okay. I’ll call you tonight.” She darted forward and hugged her before going back to the others.

Juleka tugged on their joined hands, leading him away. “Come on, let’s go home.”

They’d go home and both pull out their guitars and let themselves settle that way. They’d play each other’s songs, taking comfort in unspoken reassurance of their presence in each other’s lives.

“Yeah. Let’s go home.”

Today was a day for music.

Just…

Not the music he’d hoped it’d be.

**Author's Note:**

> Luka you’re not allowed to call him a mystery soulmate. You have a face. You have a _name._ You don’t know the true meaning of ‘mystery soulmate’. Nino knows. Nino remembers Marinette’s excitement at learning her soulmate’s name. Nino remembers still not getting to learn it himself. You have it easy.
> 
> Gotham’s holding cell smells like burnt Adrien the Fragrance and Gordon hates everything. Methinks Tim’s prank will end up kiboshed sooner rather than later.
> 
> Clumsy Marinette might be a _biit_ more inclined to be generous with her assessment of… well everyone really, but especially Damian. There’s some serious halo effect going on.  
> Of course Luka doesn’t know that. All he knows is that Damian’s apparently perfect and Marinette’s in love.


End file.
